


Say Something

by GingerKittyCat



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Gotta Stop Captilising The Beginning Letter Of Every Word When Doing Tags, Hurt/Comfort, I Promise It Gets Happier, M/M, Self-Harm, Sibling Love, don't ask where the idea came from, family love, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-02
Updated: 2014-02-13
Packaged: 2018-01-10 23:16:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1165755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GingerKittyCat/pseuds/GingerKittyCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a bad break-up with Annabeth, Percy becomes angry and upset over everything that's happened to him. He finally loses it and does something he'd never before dreamed of doing- he brings a blade to his own skin and digs it deep. Though he intended to stop after the first time round, he cannot and falls into a self-destructive streak. Can anyone build his hopes back up and save him before it's too late?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm hoping to update this every 2-3 days. Actually, I swear on the River Styx I will update this at least once every two to three days until completion.
> 
> Sorry for all grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Correcting them or pointing them out would be appreciated. I'm also really sorry if they're out of character at all.

"Go to Tartarus, Seaweed-brain!" Annabeth spat, staring daggers at him. He could no longer remember what they were fighting about, but the insult made him feel like she'd just drove her dagger through his chest. They'd been through Tartarus and back, together, and had barely survived. If they didn't have each other, they probably wouldn't have survived, but it no longer felt like they were together anymore. Arguments between the pair became an almost daily occurrence and they were seldom happy when together. Percy hadn't wanted to give up hope, tirelessly putting all of his effort into fixing their relationship, but it hadn't worked, and now he was exhausted.

"They were all right; children of Athena and Poseidon will never work together!" Percy shouted back, irritated at his girlfriend. 

"You're right, Percy! I was obviously delusional. We're done." 

"Good." Percy snapped back as he stormed away. He tried to act happy, but he felt as though a part of him had just died. He'd just the lost the only thing that had kept him sane through Tartarus, and afterwards. They weren't a couple anymore, just two people again. Tears pricked his eyes and he wiped them away furiously. 

He thundered towards his cabin, slamming the door behind him. As soon as he was alone, he broke down into tears. He curled into a ball on the floor, wishing he could rip his heart from his chest. The pain he'd kept locked away for years suddenly came flowing out, spilling down his face in the form of tears and burdening his heart. His head pounded mercilessly and he made ugly noises, trying to keep the sobs down. 

After crying for what seemed like an age, Percy gained some of his composure. He wiped the tear stains from his face and straightened himself, though the pain in his heart did not fade. It throbbed, as agonising as ever, tempting him to lay down and cry once more. The son of Poseidon knew he had nothing left inside of him to cry out, but he had to find a way to vent his anger and despair. 

Hoping a walk might vanquish the anger boiling inside him, Percy marched out of his cabin and across the camp. He followed his feet, unsure where his final destination would be, but barely caring. Other campers shot him confused or anxious looks, obviously having overheard his argument with Annabeth. Or maybe the rumours had already started. Percy didn't care. He didn't have the effort to care. If he eyes were bloodshot, or if his face was still stained with tears, why should that matter? He didn't care if they thought he was worse than Kronos or Gaia. He just didn't care about anything anymore, other than banishing the unbearable pain in his chest.

Finally, Percy came to a stop. He scanned the room, taking a moment to realise he'd ended up in a weaponary storage room. Feeling anger bubble up inside him, he grabbed a nearby dagger pouch and unsheathed it. He stared at his reflection in the bronze blade, hating himself more than he could ever describe. For a moment, he understood why people always wanted to kill him, as he wanted to hurt and torture himself too. Without another thought, he forced the anger at himself, at Annabeth, at Gaia, Kronos and the gods into his movements and took it out on himself. The blade's edge sunk into the skin just below his elbow. Crimson blood spilled out of the gash, trickling down his arm and dropping to the floor. Percy made several more incision in his arm, moving further upwards, rather than downwards, in hopes of concealing the damage in the future. Not like he cared anyway.

Black dots formed before his eyes and Percy dropped the blade. The sound of it clattering to the floor made Percy snap awake, his full focus on the matter at hand. Breathing deeply in attempt to stop himself from passing out due to blood loss, Percy tugged his shirt over his shoulders and ripped the material, a throbbing pain pulsing through his left arm as he tried. A cry of pain caught in his throat and tears gathered in his eyes, the black spots reforming once more. He steadied himself on the nearby wall until the dizziness passed, before tying one part of the material around his wounded arm, covering each slash. With the other piece of his torn up shirt, he cleaned the bronze blade and the floor, before slipping out of the room and quickly hurrying back to his cabin.

To his relief, he managed to pass unseen- even if he claimed he didn't care, it would have been embarassing to get caught shirtless with the tattered remains of his shirt tied like a bandage around self-inflicted wounds- and arrived safely back at his cabin. He soaked some material in the fountain and cleaned his wounds, wondering if the water would heal them. It didn't and he was almost pleased, though he couldn't seem to figure out why.

After cleaning the wound, he re-bandaged it and found a clean shirt. Feeling slightly better, yet exhausted, he collapsed onto his bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Percy slipped into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The demi-god just stared after his half-brother, shocked and confused. Why did Poseidon have to take him away now? Did he not watch over him? Did he not know how much he was suffering?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey demigods and mortals :3 Thanks to all of you for reading and showing your support through bookmarks and kudos. It means a lot! 
> 
> Sorry for all grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Correcting them or pointing them out would be appreciated. I'm also really sorry if they're out of character at all.

Percy dragged himself out of bed the next morning, only caring enough to make sure his arms were fully concealed before getting dressed and making his way to breakfast. His hair was a tangled mess above his head and his eyes were bloodshot from all the crying he'd done the day before, but he couldn't bring himself to care. A throbbing pain shot through his arm every time he tried to move it, temporarily distracting him from the agonosing pain in his chest. He almost felt pleased with himself, like he'd done something right for once.

He sat down at his table alone, eating slowly and savouring the taste of food. A wave of homesickness passed over him and he debated leaving camp early to return to his mother. It seemed like a good idea, though he knew that neither Chiron or Sally would be happy by it. He couldn't just run away, but that idea seemed better than staying and having his heart further ripped apart from all the memories. 

"Brother!" Tyson yelled with joy, thundering towards the table and giving Percy a giant, well, cyclops hug. A small yelp caught in Percy's throat as his half-brother caught his arm, sending shooting pains to pass through it. He managed to force a smile as Tyson pulled away from him and tried to seem pleased he'd returned. In truth, he was glad to see Tyson again, but he knew how much his half-brother loved Annabeth and that thought alone just made his heart ache. 

"Brother sad." Tyson observed and Percy just shrugged, turning his attention back to his food. He twirled it around with his fork, suddenly deciding that he was no longer hungry.

"Annabeth and I broke up." Percy mumbled, glancing up at his half-brother in time to see tears flood his big eye. Tyson began sobbing, making ugly noises as he tried to stop himself. Panicking, Percy stumbled out of his seat at the table and gave his best attempt at a comforting hug. It was difficult to get both of his arms around the big guy, especially when one ached like Tartarus, but he managed to give him a sort-of hug. 

Tyson sniffed, rubbing his eye and trying to smile. "Can we see sea-ponies? Sea-ponies makes me happy." 

"Maybe later, big guy." Percy said softly. He didn't know why, but helping Tyson calm down seemed to help him feel calmer too. "I have some camp activities to do first." 

Tyson nodded. Percy sat back down at his table and began to play with his food again, before offering it to Tyson. The cyclops grinned, quickly wolfing down the food. He belched as he finished, before looking sheepish and apologising. Percy simply laughed, thankful to have his half-brother around to cheer him up.

"Friends." Tyson said, pointing behind Percy. Percy glanced behind him to see Jason, Frank and Hazel ccoming towards him. They sat down at his table, barely giving thought to what the others thought of it. Somehow they always managed to get away with it- maybe because Frank and Hazel were only visiting, or maybe just because Mr D no longer cared.

"How are you doing, Percy?" Hazel asked softly, glancing at him with concern. He shrugged at her, unsure how to reply, but knowing exactly what she meant. Even if he could find something to say, he wasn't sure what he'd tell them. Oh yeah, he was doing great, he even brought a blade to his own skin. That would certainly go down well. 

He glanced up at Jason, hoping to change the subject. "Where's Piper?" 

Jason shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, well, she's with Annabeth." 

Percy sighed; he did a great job changing the subject there. He only made himself feel worse. "What about Leo?"

"He's still working on a way to find and free Calypso." Jason replied gently, obviously feeling better about being able to say he wasn't also with Annabeth. A warm feeling passed through Percy as he remembered his time with Calypso. He smiled softly, believing that Calypso did deserve to finally be in love with someone who returned her feelings, and that Leo deserved someone as special as she was.

"What about..." Percy stopped a moment, trying to think of their other friends. "Nico?"

When Percy glanced up at Jason, he could tell that he was trying to suppress a grin. "He's in the Underworld, as per usual. I can tell him you called, if you want."

"Uh, I'm okay." Percy replied cautiously, wondering why Jason had suddenly started acting strange. It was almost as though he wanted him to spend time wiith Nico. He didn't understand why; Jason and Nico had never seemed that close, and Percy was still convinced that Nico hated him. 

"Do you want us to see if Chiron will swap our activities, so we can stay with you?" Hazel asked gently. Percy stared at her for a second, considering it. It would be nice to have some company, but he didn't want to burden them if he broke down again.

"Honestly, I'm fine. But thanks for the offer." Percy replied as neutrally as he could manage. Hazel smiled and Frank squeezed her gently with the arm that was already around her. Percy felt genuinely happy for the two of them, but couldn't prevent the pank of jealousy he felt watching them. His relationship with Annabeth had crashed and burned, whereas their's had only grown stronger. 

After conversing for a while, they had to leave for their activities. Percy trudged towards his, feeling depressed and crushed now that he was alone again. He almost wished he'd said yes to Hazel's proposal, but he couldn't go back now. He also knew that if he had a repeat of yesterday, he'd probably hurt them and that was the last thing he wanted. 

The day passed slowly and each activity seemed to last years. By the time he was free, Percy lumbered back to his cabin and collapsed on his bed, bored and exhausted. He breathed slowly, trying to keep his thoughts away from all the bad things that had happened in his life. That proved extremely difficult as his life had practically been bad event after bad event.

Changing into something different, Percy decided it would be best to keep himself busy so his thoughts didn't wander back towards Annabeth or other events that broke his heart in two. He trudged around the camp for a while before deciding to find a place in the forest to call Mrs O'Leary and spend some time with her; the hellhound often managed to cheer him up. 

When the huge dog reached him, she gave him a big kiss, covering his whole face in dog-drool with one lick. Percy couldn't help but laugh, running towards the hellhound and attempting to hug her. He scratched her belly and attempted to teach her some tricks, before finding her toys and playing games of catch. 

Percy hardly seemed to notice that the sun was setting behind the trees, until it was almost completely dark. Sighing, he stashed Mrs O'Leary's toys away and said goodbye to his big friend. She barked, licking his face once more before bounding away. Tears clouded Percy's eyes as he realised he was alone once more, and he almost wished that Nico was around. The son of Hades was often found where the hellhound was, and, though he wasn't the happiest of people, he'd always been a good friend to Percy. He realised that he'd taken him for granted over the years and he really wished he could change that, though Nico probably wouldn't want to spend more time with him. 

Wiping his eyes furiously before his mind could wander back to Annabeth, Percy hurried back to his cabin. He realised he'd missed dinner, but he wasn't hungry, so it hardly mattered. Tyson was waiting for him inside, a concerned expression etched into his face and large tears forming in his eye. When he noticed Percy slip inside, a smile broke across his face and he charged towards his half-brother, almost flattening him in a hug. 

"Thought Percy left." Tyson blubbered, tears flowing down his face.

"Sorry, big guy." He mumbled, wondering if his ribs had been cracked by the force of Tyson's hug. "I was just playing with Mrs O'Leary." 

"Dog good." Tyson muttered, nodding his head with approval and pulling away from Percy. "Go see sea-ponies in morning." 

"Sure." Percy said, smiling sadly. 

//

"Brother?" 

Percy stirred as he heard Tyson's voice. He blinked rapidly, trying to wake himself as much as possible to hear what he had to say. He guessed the big guy needed the toilet or something, and was unsure where it was, but he listened anyway.

"Yeah."

"Daddy needs me. Go back to forges." Tyson mumbled sadly. Percy sat up immediately, no longer feeling groggy.

"What?" 

"Goodbye brother." He whisered and hugged Percy. The demi-god just stared after his half-brother, shocked and confused. Why did Poseidon have to take him away now? Did he not watch over him? Did he not know how much he was suffering?

Angrily, Percy jumped out of bed and took his anger out on the nearest wall. He punched it, hard, but it wasn't hard enough to draw blood. Pain ached through his knuckle and throbbed up to his arm. Percy cursed; he'd forgotten what he'd done to that arm. He almost vowed never to do it again, but he didn't want to. An urge to find a blade corrupted his brain and he shook his head rapidly, hoping to banish the thought.

Distracting himself, Percy packed his stuff into his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, marching out of his cabin. He stormed through the forest, crossing the camp borders and continuing down the nearby road. Tirelessly, Percy walked down the road, travelling without rest for several miles until he could walk no further. The sun hadn't yet appeared over the horizon, but Percy hoped he could still hire a taxi. He borrowed the nearest payphone, in a nearby village he didn't know the name of, and dialled the number. Within ten minutes, a taxi appeared, ready to take him home. He stared out of the window, thinking about his mother and his friends as he journied home. 

When the taxi finally drove down the right street, he paid the driver and stumbled out of the car. Hoping not to disturb his mother or Paul, he found the fire escape and climbed it until he'd reached his room. He picked the lock and lowered himself in through the window. Behind him, the sun had only just decided to show it's face.

Sighing, Percy dumped his bag onto his bed and sank to the floor, his bad thoughts and memories overwhelming him once more. Tears flooded his eyes and he curled into a ball, crying and trembling without control. The merciless pain in his chest began throbbing again, controlling his mind and banishing all positive thoughts. Feeling furious and heartbroken, Percy dragged himself off the floor and fumbled through his drawers for something to use.

When his fingers rested on a pencil sharpener, he did something that he'd later feel ashamed about, and broke it open with a chair, releasing the razor blade. Without thinking, Percy used the blade to break his own skin open until the numbness faded away. Blood poured from slices up his legs, creating a crimson pool in the middle of his floor. He scowled at the mess, tossing the blade to the floor when he could no longer feel a thing. Littering the bottom half of both of his legs were messy cuts, tearing open his skin and allowing blood to pass through. 

As black dots appeared before his eyes and the urge to pass out began to overpower him, Percy bound his legs with old shirts, pressing the material against the wounds until they stopped bleeding. Once they'd stopped, he stumbled into the bathroom and found some bandages, clumisly binding the wounds before finding something to clean the floor with. After sterilising his carpet and getting rid of all evidence, he tossed the rags into his bin, making a note to dispose of them in the bin outside once he had enough energy. 

Feeling exhausted, both emotionally and physically, Percy changed into longer pyjamas and unpacked his stuff, busying himself before attempting to sleep again to ensure he didn't fall into a coma. Tears pricked his eyes again as he realised how homesick he'd felt and he allowed himself to cry for a moment, throwing his stuff to the floor. 

Sunlight started to shine in through his window and he realised it was finally morning. Finding a drachma and something to create a rainbow with, Percy made the blessing and hoped to send an iris-message to Jason. He caught his friend just as he'd woken and he informed him that he'd left camp. Jason looked displeased and worried, but Percy assured him that he was alright.

They conversed for several minutes before Jason had to leave. After their call ended, Percy snuggled under his covers and cried himself to sleep.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sally nodded her head understandingly, having heard about the incident between the two from Chiron. "I understand. Just promise me that you won't do anything you'll regret." 
> 
> Percy suddenly seemed to find the floor extremely interesting and he glared at it, a guilty feeling burdening his chest. When he spoke, his voice came out tight and broken. "I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again my lovely demigods and mortal :3 Thank you to everyone for taking the time to read and show your support through bookmarks and kudos. It really means a lot!
> 
> Sorry for all grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Correcting them or pointing them out would be appreciated. I'm also really sorry if they're out of character at all.

Percy awoke later in the day, glancing at the clock through layers of sleep. It read 3:48pm and he cursed, knowing he'd slept for a long time. Sighing, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and dragged himself out of bed. His limbs ached and groaned as he tried to move, sending a wave of nausea washing over him. Staggering forward, he grabbed the door handle, leaning on it for several moments whilst he regained his balance. The nausea passed and he straightened himself, heading for the bathroom. 

Once inside, Percy filled a plastic cup with water, having several cups before residing to doing anything. After he felt fully hydrated, he proceeded to clean himself and his wounds. He quickly showered and changed, binding his wounds before covering them with faded jeans, a plain t-shirt and a dark hoodie. Feeling better and fresher, Percy walked back to his room and grabbed his trash-bag, ensuring that all evidence from last night was inside. He tied the bag in a knot and hauled it out of the room, carrying it downstairs and dumping it in the skip outside. 

Hoping to distract himself, Percy went on a quick walk around the block, letting the nostalgia and feelings of his first home overwhelm him. It also made him miss his friends at his second home as he remembered walking down some of these streets with Annabeth, or showing Jason where he lived or visiting a nearby store for treats for Mrs O'Leary. Everything reminded him of his second home, Camp Half-Blood, and his demi-gods friends, which caused him to feel down once more. He tried to push the feelings away, knowing it was no good to waste time feeling sorry for himself.

He headed back toward their apartment, slamming the door behind him as he usually did when he slipped inside. Big mistake. 

"Perceus Jackson?!" Percy froze as he heard his mother's angry voice, terrified that she'd discovered what he'd been doing. She stormed into the room and stopped before him, planting her hands on her abdomen. "Do you want to explain to me why you left summer camp early?" 

Percy sighed with relief; he'd forgotten all about fleeing from the camp and he was relieved Sally had picked up on that rather than the other thing. Surprising his mother, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a tight hug. Her anger disappeared immediately and she hugged her son back tightly, beginning to quietly sob. Percy blinked back his own tears, ashamed of what she'd think if she found out. He knew that he must stop before she did catch him, but he wasn't sure how he could. Nevertheless, he was extremely thankful of her; through the past few years she'd kept him strong and sane.

"I love you, Mom." He whispered and she shook her head.

"Don't think that's going to make me forgive you easily." She replied softly, but it was already clear that she had forgiven him. 

"I'll return to camp tomorrow." He promised, pulling away from her and gently wiping a tear away from her face. "I'm sorry that I ran away and came home. I was just tired and I didn't want to be around... her." His voice went quiet as he came to the end of his sentence, an image of a smiling Annabeth filling his mind. He scowled, shaking his head and banishing the image.

Sally nodded her head understandingly, having heard about the incident between the two from Chiron. "I understand. Just promise me that you won't do anything you'll regret." 

Percy suddenly seemed to find the floor extremely interesting and he glared at it, a guilty feeling burdening his chest. When he spoke, his voice came out tight and broken. "I promise." 

"I love you, Percy." She said softly, running her hand along his cheek. He glanced up at her, tilting his head into her hand. It reminded him of when he was younger and she stroke his cheek to calm him. 

"I have to go meet Paul, but I'll see you before you leave for camp, alright?" Sally said simply and Percy nodded, kissing his mother on the cheek before she left. As the door shut behind her, tears clouded his eyes. He began sobbing, hiding his face in his hands and feeling deeply ashamed of himself. When he was finally able to gather his composure again, he packed his stuff rapidly, making sure his mother would find nothing out of the ordinary in his room. Once that was done, he grabbed the skateboard Paul had bought him for Christmas and made his way to the nearest skateboarding park to clear his mind.

//

Percy wandered back to their apartment hours later, carrying his skateboard in one hand. His limbs ached and pulsed with pain, given the extra strain he'd pushed on them. To make matters worse, he'd accidentally torn holes in his jeans when he'd scraped up his knees. Each step caused a shock to bolt up Percy's legs, but he tried to shake it off, claiming it was nothing. When he staggered into their apartment, his mother was perched on a chair at the dinner table, talking quietly to Paul who was handing her a drink. As soon as Sally noticed Percy's knees, she rushed to find their first aid kit and ushered him to sit down. 

"Fighting monster?" Paul asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Skateboarding, actually." Percy replied softly and Paul laughed. Sally returned with anti-septic and plasters, cleaning his knees before adding a plaster. Percy smiled when he watched her resist the urge to kiss them better- the last time she'd patched him up, he'd been relatively young.

"Thanks, Mom." He smiled.

"You're going to be the death of me, Percy." She said softly. It was supposed to be a joke, one that most mother's made, but he knew it was probably true. One of these days, he'd either drive her made with worry or one of the monsters would seek revenge and murder her. "How about once you're changed, we go to the sweet-shop like we always used to and buy some blue sweets." 

The thought of visiting the shop with his mother, like old times, brought joy to Percy's heart and he nodded gently. Stumbling to his feet, he rushed to his room, changed into something else that would fully cover both his arms and legs, and returned to the kitchen. She smiled when she saw him, years of worry disappearing from her face. Percy grinned back, looping his arm around Sally's and leading her downstairs.

"Take care of her." Paul called after them and Percy grinned.

"I could say the same thing to you!"

The two of them made small talk as they walked towards the sweet shop, talking about her summer had been and what else had happened at camp, other than everything with Annabeth. Percy once again promised that he'd return tomorrow morning and that he'd send an iris-message to Chiron later, apologising profoundly and begging to be allowed to return. Sally nodded, feeling more satisfied if he returned to camp. It was dangerous for him to stay by her side all year round, and he was getting older now; he needed more freedom.

Once inside the sweet shop, the two purchased their favourite blue sweets and returned home, telling each other jokes and reminscing about old times. Percy felt a weight lift off his heart to see his mother so joyful, and to be reminded of how much he cared for her, and her for him. He still often felt terrible about how she'd suffered through marriage with Gabe for years to mask his scent, and he was greatful beyond measure, but that couldn't undo the pain he'd forced her through. Nonetheless, Percy was joyous to witness his mother fall in love all over again, with someone she deserved, Paul. 

"I love you, Mom." Percy reminded her before he returned to his room. She kissed his cheek and told him just how much she loved him. He smiled and packed his stuff, readying himself for camp again. Although it had caused problems, he was also glad he'd returned home; seeing his mother again reminded him that at least one person was always there for him. 

After packing, Percy decided to get a good night's rest, sleeping peacefully without nightmares and drooling all over his pillow. 

//

Percy's alarm clock awoke him in the morning and he turned it off completely, making sure it wouldn't continue to ring in his absence. He changed into his camp clothes, accompanied by a hoodie, and dragged his bag into the kitchen. Sally was waiting patiently for him, a smile spreading across her face when she saw him,

"I'm going to get a taxi with you as close to the camp as I can." She said softly. Percy nodded, happy to have his mother by his side. Before the two grabbed a taxi, they visited a nearby ice-cream stand and bought blue ice-creams, eating them whilst waiting for their method of transport. Percy paid the fare and gave the driver enough for his mother's return journey too, and they journeyed in a comfortable silence. 

Once they arrived at Percy's stop, he planted a kiss on Sally's cheek and hugged her tightly, promising he'd keep out of trouble until he returned home to her at the end of summer. She handed him a plastic bag filled with the blue sweets she hadn't yet eaten and kissed his forehead, telling him she loved him. Tears pricked Percy's eyes and he blinked them away as he backed out of the cab. He waved goodbye until the taxi was out of sight and made his way towards camp. 

Chiron greeted him with a solemn smile, forgiving him for running away, but only on this circumstance.

"There's all sorts of dangers you could have encounted and you're not supposed to leave unless you have a quest." Chiron chided him and Percy nodded, acknowledging his words and swearing on the River Styx that he'd never run home in the middle of summer camp again. Chiron smiled at him greatfully and allowed him to leave. After dumping his possessions in his cabin, Percy decided to visit the forest in hopes of playing with Mrs O'Leary again. He was greeted with better.

Mrs O'Leary was sprawled across the floor, snoring loudly with her tongue flopped to one side. Beside her, Jason, Hazel and Nico were eating McDonalds and chatting happily amongst themselves. When Jason spotted Percy, he elbowed Nico and pointed towards him, before jumping to his feet and running to him. The disturbance caused Mrs O'Leary to snap awake and, as Jason bear-hugged Percy, the hellhound bound towards them, greeting the son of Poseidon with a huge slobbery kiss just as Jason ducked away. Hazel jogged over, hugging Percy after Mrs O'Leary had finished fussying over him and invited him to join them. Nico smiled at Percy awkwardly as he sat opposite him, his cheeks tinted slightly crimson.

Hazel and Jason plonked themselves down beside them and Mrs O'Leary dived down behind Percy, nuzzling her snout against his knee. He laughed, scratching her muzzle as the four of them conversed.

"We definitely won't be seeing Leo for a while; he left yesterday with Festus to search for Calypso. We're all hoping he'll be successful. The dude deserves to be happy." Jason said loudly.

"And so does Calypso." Percy added with a faint smile. 

"Oh, and Reyna's visiting camp for a few days." Hazel added.

"She's bringing along Octavian who's convinced he can get Rachel to crush on him as much as he does on her." Jason smirked, supressing laughter. Percy laughed.

"I'm guessing he doesn't know that she can't date?"

"We'll just have to let him humiliate himself." Jason giggled. They all laughed at the thought of Octavian, who tried to be scary and all-powerful, chasing Rachel around like a puppy-dog. Even Nico laughed, to Percy's surprise, and he beamed at him, joyous to see Nico looking so happy. When the son of Hades noticed him looking, he turned away rapidly, his cheeks heating. If Percy noticed, he didn't say anything. The four of them continued to talk, and joke, happily until way past curfew. Realising the times, the four of them cursed, hoping they wouldn't get caught by the harpies, and returned to their cabins. Jason and Percy walked side-by-side whilst Nico and Hazel shadow-travelled. 

Once Percy reached his cabin, he called 'night' to Jason and walked towards his bed. Sighing with exhaustion and happiness, he rolled onto his bed and fell straight to sleep in his clothes. The day would have been perfect, had Percy not had a nightmare, which he did.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That's where you're wrong, Jackson! It's killing me." 
> 
> "Why would it kill you?"
> 
> "Because I love you, idiot!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello once again my wonderful demigods and mortals :3 Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read this and show your support through your bookmarks, kudos and comments. It really does mean a lot!
> 
> Sorry for all grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Correcting them or pointing them out would be appreciated. I'm also really sorry if they're out of character at all.

Percy jolted awake, tears streaming down his face, alongside sweat. His throat burned as he swallowed the dry lump and his chest ached. He felt like he'd been screaming for hours, but could that have been possible. Maybe. He wiped at his eyes furiously, hoping to forget his nightmare, but the images were singed into his brain.

His dream would sound stupid to most people, unless you were a demi-god. The really crap thing about being a demi-god was that when you had a nightmare, you weren't sure whether it would come to light or not, as the majority of your dreams did end up becoming true. Percy's dream would have been horrific. It had started out as when he'd met the human form of Tartarus in, well, Tartarus, and that image alone was enough to make his hair stand on ends. The nightmare had begun following the events of Bob attacking him, and Annabeth cutting the chains on the Doors of Death. However, in his dream, once Annabeth cut the final chain, she warped into Tartarus. The scene around them changed and she began killing and eating all their friends, torturing them horrifically before bringing their lives to an end. She'd started with Mrs O'Leary and Nico, gradually going through their demi-god friends before ending on eating his mother.

At that point, Percy had bolted awake, shaken and upset. Those people, the ones that Annabeth had tortured and eaten, had been the only ones who'd kept his hopes up over the past few days. The only ones who'd brought a smile to his face and joy to his heart. In his dreams, Annabeth had taken those too.

Breaking down into tears, Percy collapsed to the floor, burying his face in his arms. He tried to push the images away, but they kept replaying, their screams echoing in his mind. His heart throbbed and ached, causing his whole body to feel numb. The pain was worse than most of the things he'd experienced and he couldn't stand it. 

Stumbling to his feet, Percy fumbled for the bronze dagger that Tyson kept under his bed and brought it to his arms. Immediate relief washed over him as a burning shot up his fore-arm. Crimson liquid spilled down his arms, washing away the numbness.

"What in Hades name are you doing?!" A voice shouted, loud and bitter. Percy jumped, the dagger clattering to the floor. He stumbled to his feet, turning to face the person who'd addressed him, blood staining his skin around the single incision he'd made. 

"What's it to do with you?" Percy spat, glaring at Nico. The son of Hades' face was ghostly pale, the lack of light making his skin appear translucent. His eyes were ringed with black and full of worry. The freckles littering his nose almost glowed in what moonlight shone through his window. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyebrows furrowed, causing him to resemble an angry, almost concerned, ghost.

"Are you out of your mind?! When would that ever be acceptable, Percy?!" 

"Why does it matter?"

"You'll hurt people, Percy. If they find out, it'll kill them. What do you think your mother would do if she realised you'd resorted to- to that?!" Nico shouted, his voice full of anger. Percy's eyes narrowed as he mentioned his mother. His sense of control and patience disappeared. He marched towards Nico, his fists clenched at his sides. Nico opened his mouth to speak again, but Percy didn't allow him. Letting his anger be released, he punched the younger demi-god in the face, busting his lip and nose. Nico howled, turning away abruptly, his hand shooting up towards his face. 

At the sounds of his cries, Percy's anger disappeared and he stared at his friend, horrified by what he'd done. Nico turned to face him, his face full of pain and betrayal. As Percy's eyes rested upon his expression, his heart shattered into a million more pieces. With tears in his eyes, Nico shadow-travelled away, leaving Percy alone. 

"What have I done?" Percy mumbled, sinking his teeth into his trembling lip. Trying to keep his thoughts away from the dagger, he fastened it to his belt and left his cabin. He followed his feet, wandering in the forest. The darkness concealed the tree-roots and rocks scattered across the floor, causing Percy to stumble every few steps. After marching through the darkness of the forest for what seemed like an age, Percy tripped over a hidden root, face-planting the floor.

Wiping dirt from his face, he allowed the tears to flow again. The image of Nico's pain-filled and bloody face was still burned into his mind, breaking his heart repeatedly. He drew the dagger from his belt, bringing it to his bare skin. Unable to bear the pain for a second longer, he dug the blade into his skin, slicing his forearms until they was drenched in blood. Nauseating pain swept through his body and black dots danced before his eyes. The dagger slipped through his trembling fingers as the sheer loss of blood began to effect his breathing. Slow, steady breaths slipped through his mouth before the earth came up to meet him and he passed out.

//

Percy's eyes flickered open as a searing pain shot through his left wrist. He blinked through sleep to find Nico di Angelo rubbing salt water over his cuts and bandaging them. His face looked better now, though his lip was slightly swollen. Guilt swarmed over Percy and he winced slightly, remembering the pain he'd put the other demi-god through. Hearing the noise, Nico turned and, when he realised that Percy was in fact awake, his frown deepened. 

"Percy." He said softly, offering him a drink. Percy took it without question, draining the liquid rapidly due to thirst. When he realised that he'd just drank nectar, he frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. It didn't hurt and that angered him.

"Why did you heal me?" Percy snapped, furiousity bubbling inside him like a volcano. 

"I can't stand seeing you do that to yourself." Nico replied, his voice scratchy like sandpaper. "The condition you were in when Mrs O'Leary and I found you-" His voice cracked and Percy glanced in his direction, immediately spotting tears forming in his eyes. Feeling ashamed of himself, Percy hung his head.

"You looked like death and believe me, I know. You were also, well, you were also close to it. You'd lost so much blood." Nico stared at the floor. "Promise me you'll stop.

"I promise." Percy replied hoarsely, unsure whether he meant it or not. 

"Swear on the River Styx."

"Why do you care anyway?! It doesn't hurt or effect you in any way." Anger became to boil inside Percy again; he hated being told what to do and forced to swear it on the River Styx. The truth was, Percy didn't think he could stop. He didn't want to and he didn't see why it should concern Nico.

"That's where you're wrong, Jackson! It's killing me." 

"Why would it kill you?"

"Because I love you, idiot!" Percy's heart stopped for a second as he processed the younger boy's words. He stared at him, frozen with surprise. Nico's eyes widened as he realised what he'd confessed. He cursed under his breath, clenching his fists at his sides. Black mist shrouded him and he disappeared in the shadows, leaving Percy alone.

//

"I was told I'd find you here." Jason beamed, entering the Poseidon cabin. Percy was still lying in bed, resting at the orders of Chiron who just believed Percy was simply heartbroken. Self-inflicted wounds still littered his arms and legs, but they were only scars, healed almost completely by the nectar Nico had given him. Nevertheless, he continued to keep them hidden, hoping to avoid questions.

"If you're feeling up to it, we could do some training together." Jason offered. Percy was about to turn him down, but the other interjected. "You can't mop around here forever." 

Percy sighed, knowing he was right. "I'll meet you in the arena." He said simply and Jason nodded, leaving him alone to get ready. Percy dragged himself out of bed, changing his clothes into something that wasn't blood-stained. He checked Riptide was in his pocket before exiting his cabin and heading towards the arena. 

He slipped inside, watching Jason murder some dummies. Jason's forehead, nose and lips was beaded with sweat, the scar on his lip illuminated by the liquid, and his eyes were narrowed with concentration. He moved with speed, maneuvering his hands with skill and swiftness. 

"Good sword work." Percy remarked and Jason halted, wiping his face and grinning.

"I had plenty of practice against all those monsters we encountered." 

Percy nodded, his mind flashing back to all the monsters he'd encountered. There were so many that he'd lost track a long time ago. Sighing, he brought his mind back towards the present, hoping to find something to talk about. He glanced at Jason, suddenly remembering something he'd been meaning to ask earlier, but had forgotten. "How come you and Piper don't hang out anymore?"

"We've been arguing recently." Jason muttered. "She didn't appreciate the time I was spending with Reyna, how I chided her on not spending time with you and she's been too occupied with Annabeth." He shrugged. 

"Huh." Percy mumbled, regretting that he'd asked. Banishing the idea of conversation entirely, he uncapped his pen, revealing Riptide, and moved down towards Jason, who just grinned, accepting his challenge. The two dueled tirelessly, their weapons clashing and clanging against each other noisely. They continued to fight for what seemed like hours, until sweat was pouring down their skin and dripping from their hair, and their breaths came out shallow and frequent. The two were both panting, exhausted.

"I'm starving!" Jason gasped through breaths. "I got some sandwiches earlier. Maybe we should go eat them." 

Percy nodded in agreement, his stomach growling loudly. Jason laughed and they sat down on the steps to eat. Three half-sandwiches in, they were both beginning to feel better and stopped inhaling their food to speak to one another.

"So, was it your idea to kick me out of bed or someone else's." 

"I have to admit it wasn't my idea, but it was a good idea. I personally believed you to be alright, but Nico was worried about you and mentioned that he thought you were in a pretty bad state." Jason shrugged, turning back to his sandwich. "He was concerned about you and his concern made me wonder how bad you really were. I guess he was right and it's a good thing I came to kick you out of bed."

Percy glanced sideways at Jason, just as he took a huge bite out of his sandwich. "Nico really does care about me, doesn't he?" He whispered. Jason choked on his sandwich, coughing and spluttering before smiling at him innocently. 

"You know." Percy stated, watching Jason suspiciously. The other demigod frowned, trying to act confused, which was partially true. "You know how Nico feels about me." 

Jason bit his lip, realisation washing over him. He stared at his food for a moment, contemplating his answer, before nodding.

"How do you know?" Percy asked curiously.

"Ugh, long story."

"I've got nothing but time."

Jason sighed. "I promised Nico I wouldn't tell anyone."

"But I already know. I'm just asking you to tell me how you know."

"I guess." Jason muttered. He cleared his throat. "Okay, it happened when you and Annabeth-" Percy flinched at the mention of her name-" were in Tartarus. We needed Diocletian's sceptre. You know, the one that Nico sometimes carries around with him? To claim it, we had to face Cupid. The others, well, they were still on the Argo II, but Nico and I went into the temple to find the sceptre. I'm pretty sure everyone believed Nico had a crush on Annabeth, I know Piper certainly believed that, but that obviously wasn't it. Cupid was trying to get him to admit his feelings. He taunted him, calling him a coward and asking if he'd hide among the dead as he always does. Magic revealed to me parts of Nico's life from his point of view." He swallowed. "Like when you told Nico of Bianca's death-" Percy suddenly became interested in a spot on the ground, picking at it with his fingers-" and when those skeletons attacked. Even though he felt you'd betrayed him, he couldn't let them hurt you. Eventually, Nico confessed he left Camp Half-Blood because of love. I tried to make it easier on him, finally understanding what it all meant. I realised that he wasn't in love with Annabeth, but-" 

"-Jealous of her." Percy finished and Jason nodded.

"He hated himself. He hated you. It took a lot of strength, but Nico finally admitted the truth. Cupid left and we claimed Diocletian's sceptre. I promised I wouldn't tell, but I also encouraged him to tell. I still do. It must be so hard on him. He's from a time where that was practically unthinkable."

"That really was brave of him." Percy muttered, his attention fixed on some dirt. An overwhelming feeling of guilt had flooded his gut as he realised how much suffering he'd caused Nico. That was even before Nico had discovered what he'd started to do. Percy cursed himself under his breath, mentally slapping himself for being so stupid. 

//

Percy sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, thinking. He had a lot of things he needed to do, a lot of things he needed to apologise for and a lot of people he had to talk to. 

"First things first." He muttered, glancing up at the sky. Raising his voice, he said, "I, Perceus Jackson, swear on the River Styx that I will not self-harm again." Thunder rumbled overhead and Percy smiled. "For Nico."


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You don't have to hide it, Nico. People's opinions of you won't change. I'm so proud of you. So very proud of you. And I'm sure she would be too." Hazel didn't exactly elaborate on who the 'she' was, but they all knew it was Bianca. At that moment, Nico burst into tears and Hazel hugged him tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon my amazing demigods and mortals :3 Thank you for all the support you've all given me through reading this and showing your support through comments, bookmarks and kudos! It really means tons, guys! 
> 
> Here's the fifth chapter, as promised. It isn't quite as long as some of the others, but the next, and last, chapter will (hopefully) be much longer! It'll be uploaded on Wednesday or Thursday :3 
> 
> I'm also sorry for all grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Correcting or pointing them out would be a huge help and really appreciated. I'm also really sorry if they're out of character at all.

Searching for his friends, Percy wandered into the sword-fighting arena, bumping into Frank on the way out. He glanced sheepishly at the older demigod, mumbling something about Chiron wanting to see him, and hurried away. Percy shrugged, turning back to the arena and guessing that his other friends were inside. Fortunately, they were.

In the middle of the arena, Jason was dueling Hazel, often fooled by her magical illusions. Mrs O'Leary was sprawled out in her usual spot, chewing a bronze shield whilst watching them curiously. Besides the huge hellhound, also watching the fight, and eating a pomegranate, was Nico, who kept grinning as his half-sister kicked Jason's butt. It caused Percy great joy to see them all so joyous, especially Nico who seemed seldom happy anymore.

Percy had hoped to go unnoticed, and to watch them for a while, but Mrs O'Leary gave his position away, barking as she spotted her best friend. She bounded towards him, wagging her tail happily and licking his face. The others stopped to watch, stifling laughter, except Nico, who's expression darkened. He turned away, reaching for the shadows like he was preparing to leave.

"Nico, wait!" Percy called, screwing up his face as he received another huge kiss from Mrs O'Leary. "Yeah, girl, it's good to see you too. Now, fetch!" 

Throwing the bronze shield in the opposite direction, Percy wiped away the drool with his shirt and beamed towards his friends. Jason and Hazel were giggling, their weapons on the floor, and Nico was frozen in the position he'd previously been in, obviously surprised that Percy had chosen to address him.

Grinning, Percy walked towards him, humoured by his dumbfounded expression. He wrapped his arms around the younger boy and pulled him into a hug as he reached him, hoping it would speak the apology he needed to say. Nico's eyes widened, his face turned a deep shade of red. Jason cheered, causing Nico to scowl in his direction. This obviously only caused Jason to cheer more.

Blushing slightly himself, Percy pulled away, feeling slightly awkward. "Uh, I'm sorry for everything, Nico." He said loudly, meaning every single word. He knew he didn't deserve the younger demigod's forgiveness, but he hoped he would receive it anyway. When Nico didn't answer, Percy continued to speak. "I shouldn't have said or done any of those things, and I'm really ashamed that I did. I'm sorry for hurting you." 

Nico glanced up, meeting his gaze. His eyes were full of emotion and his eyebrows quivered. Percy stared at him nervously, frightened that he'd burst into tears, but he didn't. The younger demigod nodded, tearing his eyes away and focusing on the floor. 

"I'm sorry too, Percy. I was too harsh and bitter." 

"Nah, you have nothing to be sorry for. And, um, I think you're really brave." Percy's comment caused Nico to look back up again, his eyebrows knitting together. His expression was full of confusion and he had no idea what Percy was talking about. He didn't believe himself to be brave in any way, so why did Percy?

"Jason told me about your incident with cupid." Percy explained. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been, or anything else related to that. I'm sorry for that too."

Nico turned his attention to Jason, scowling furiously. If looks could have killed, Jason would've been dead. 

"Oh." Hazel said loudly. The three of them turned to her with surprise; until that moment, they'd forgotten she was there. Without explaining anything further, she moves towards Nico, hugging him tightly. "I understand now." She mumbled.

"Huh?"

"You're not in love with Annabeth like they always thought you were." She whispered and the boys' eyes widened, wondering if she had actually caught on. "Nico, why didn't you tell me?"

Nico shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. He appeared to be trying to wish it all away, hoping that when he opened his eyes, it was just a nightmare.

"You don't have to hide it, Nico. People's opinions of you won't change. I'm so proud of you. So very proud of you. And I'm sure she would be too." Hazel didn't exactly elaborate on who the 'she' was, but they all knew it was Bianca. At that moment, Nico burst into tears and Hazel hugged him tighter. 

"We're all proud of you and we all love you." Hazel whispered, stroking his hair. "You're so brave and you can tell the others. They won't hate you; they'll be proud too." She pulled away from her half-brother, wiping his tears from his ridiculously pale face and kissing his cheek. 

Smiling, Hazel glanced at Percy, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now Percy Jackson, are you going to tell me if you feel the same about my brother?" She said lightly. Nico's face illuminated to a crimson red, Jason burst into laughter and began rolling on the floor, howling, whilst Percy's eyes widened and his cheeks burned. 

"Uh- Um- I- Uh." Percy stammered, his face get hotter by the second. "I- Uh- W-why did you have to put me on the spot like that Hazel?" He finally managed to say and Hazel beamed, pleased with the answer she received. 

"Sorry, Percy." She said softly, hugging him too before turning back to her brother. She wrapped her arms around him once again and, this time, Percy joined in too. Feeling left out, Jason scrambled to his feet and joined in the hug. It was a rather awkward hug, well, for Nico, who was just motionlessly stood there, mortified, but it left him feeling warm, fuzzy and happy.

/

Percy hurled the bronze shield into the forest, grinning as the huge hellhound tore after it. She knocked down saplings and bushes on her way, which probably wouldn't have pleased Grover, but it was humorous nevertheless.

"Hey." A familiar voice said. Percy turned on his heels and smiled, greeting his friend. Nico awkwardly walked towards him, his eyes trained on the floor and his hands stuffed into his pockets. 

"Um, Nico." Percy began and the other glanced up at him, meeting his eyes. As soon as he did, his cheeks burned crimson again and he focused his gaze somewhere else, like on the trees behind Percy, or his camp necklace.

"I made my promise. I swore on the River Styx that I wouldn't do it again." Percy said softly, grateful for Mrs O'Leary to return with the bronze shield, which was now dented and covered in dog drool. He picked it up and tossed it again, wiping his hands on his jeans after he'd finished.

"And thank you for helping me realise why I shouldn't. I guess I didn't realise how much it could hurt other people until it hurt you. I'm really sorry. It also made me realise how irrational I've been in the past and how I have hurt other people. I, uh, also think I'm going to apologise to Annabeth and at least try to be her friend." 

"Uh-huh." Nico mumbled. Percy glanced at him, surprised to see that tears were rapidly filling his eyes. He brushed them away furiously, scowling at the ground.

"Nico." Percy said softly. The younger demigod nodded, making a strange noise, acknowledging the mention of his name, but refusing to meet his eyes again. Percy sighed, moving closer to his friend. He shuffled awkwardly, unsure how to get his words out, before gently placing his hand on Nico's shoulder. This time Nico did meet his eyes.

"Look, I have no idea how I feel about you, but I'd need to think about it anyway. I only broke up with Annabeth a few days ago and, even if I did feel that way, it wouldn't be fair on anyone if I committed myself to another relationship, or anything of the sort." 

"I understand." Nico replied, dipping his gaze again. "I don't care about having my feelings returned. Just-" His voice caught in his throat and he closed his eyes, concentrating more on his words than the demigod before him. "I-I just care if you won't be my friend anymore or act the same around me." 

"I can definitely still be your friend." Percy beamed, patting Nico on the back as he opened his eyes. "Come on, I think Mrs O'Leary wants someone to play with." And sure enough, the huge, friendly hellhound was waiting patiently before them, her tongue hanging out as she waited for the shield to be thrown once again.

/

The camp fire burned beautifully as everyone cheered, singing joyously. Percy nervously stumbled to his feet, making his way towards Annabeth. Her face was paler than usual and dark rings circled her eyes. She looked like she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in a while, though her hair was tangled and messy like she'd just climbed out of bed.

"Annabeth?" Percy said softly and she glanced up at him, scowling immediately when she realised who had called her. Percy sighed. "I'm sorry."

Her facial expressions softened and she directed her attention to her knees, looking ashamed of herself. "Yeah." She mumbled. "I'm sorry too."

"I'm not asking for us to be together again-" Percy began, lowering himself down beside her on the bench. "But can we at least still be friends?" 

A smile crept across Annabeth's face and she punched him gently in the arm. "You can count on it, Seaweed Brain."

Percy grinned, awkwardly hugging her, before returning to his other friends at the opposite side of the campfire. Hazel was perched in the middle, holding Frank's hand whilst leaning against her half-brother Nico. When Jason and Reyna, who were sat on the other side of Nico, spotted Percy approaching, they scooted over, clearing a space for Percy. Percy rolled his eyes, sitting beside Jason and Nico. 

They all joined in the camp fire songs, only distracted by laughter when they noticed a scrawny blonde figure, carrying a decapitated stuffed toy, chasing after a red-headed girl wearing doodle-pad jeans. He was shouting something after her, but she had her fingers stuck in her ears, refusing to listen. They all giggled, agreeing that they wouldn't tell Octavian about Rachel's inability to date until he'd fully humiliated himself.


	6. The Final Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I was attacked and I shadow-travelled to the safest place I thought of."
> 
> "Well, you either have strong feelings for this street or you shadow-travelled to me." The smile was harder to keep off his face now, especially as his words caused the colour of Nico's cheeks to deepen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening my fellow demigods and mortals! :3 Thank you so, so much for your constant support through reading, bookmarking, commenting and adding kudos! It really does mean a lot! 
> 
> I'm not sure whether this turned out whether I wanted it to, or not, and I'm not entirely happy with it, but, nevertheless, enjoy!
> 
> Sorry for all grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Correcting them or pointing them out would be appreciated. I'm also really sorry if they're out of character at all.

Percy ate his blue pancakes silently, listening to his mother ramble on about why she wouldn't be able to see him off to camp this year. He just smiled at her, nodding understandingly as she fussed over Percy's new sister. When he'd arrived home from camp the previous year, she'd informed him of the news and then given birth later in the year. He loved his younger sister, but he tried not to touch her that often, afraid that he'd leave his demigod scent on his fully mortal sister.

"Mom?" Percy said gently when she'd finished talking. She made a noise like she'd acknowledged him calling and glanced up at him, before turning her attention back to her daughter, who was currently making garbled noises. "After camp this year, I'm thinking of moving to Camp Jupiter and going to college there. It's not far away, just in San Francisco, but it'll be safer as it's a demigod camp and civilisation. But I haven't decided yet." He stopped for a moment. "What do you think?" 

"I think you don't need to look for me for approval or help on your decision. It's your choice, Percy, and you must do what's best for you. We're fine here and I'm sure we can defend ourselves if any monsters do come around. I will love you no matter where you decide to go. Just make sure you visit every once in a while." 

"Definitely." Percy grinned, eating the last of his pancakes. "I'll let you know what I decide at the end of camp. I'll go pack." 

/

After packing everything he needed for camp, Percy decided to visit the nearest fast-food restaurant and have unhealthy food for the last time before summer. He kissed his mother's cheek before leaving the house and walked along the pavement, glad to have the shadows from the trees to offer some shade. 

He'd strolled along for several minutes before someone grabbed his shoulders, their grip tight and their fingers digging deep into Percy's skin. Letting his instincts take over, he tossed the figure to the floor and whirled around. As his eyes rested on the thing that had grabbed him, his breath caught in his mouth and his blood ran cold. Nico di Angelo was sprawled across the floor, covering in open wounds. His chest was fluttering weakly and he was struggling to stay conscious.

With panic rising in his chest, Percy rushed forward. Unsure what else to do, he carefully pulled one of Nico's limp arms around his shoulder and dragged him along, supporting the majority of his weight. Nico made wimpering noises, protesting against movement. Percy ignored them, hauling him along until they reached somewhere completely shaded from the view of mortals. 

Nico began coughing violently, each splutter causing him to spray blood across the floor. Percy winced, closing his eyes at the sight of him in pain. 

"What happened?" Percy asked when Nico had stopped. The son of Hades tried to focus on the other's face, but his eyes kept rolling around his head and his vision was blurred. Percy bit his lip, trying to keep himself from panicking. A sudden thought occurred to him at that moment and he wondered why he hadn't thought of it earlier. Rummaging around in his pockets, he prayed that he kept emergency ambrosia squares in this jacket as he did with many of his others. Fortunately, there were several squares left.

Pushing himself to keep calm, Percy fed Nico the ambrosia squares, rationing them so that he'd heal, but not burn up. Within moments, the younger demigod began to look better and a huge weight was lifted from Percy's chest. He let out a breath, unaware that he'd been holding it.

"What happened?" Percy asked again, placing his hand against Nico's face and checking his temperature. His skin was icy cold, but that was relatively normal for a child of Hades. Nico glanced upwards and, realising where he was, and that Percy had his hand pressed against his face, he blushed, his skin rapidly heating. Percy bit his lip to try and supress the smile.

"I can't quite remember." Nico replied hoarsely as his brain processed that Percy had asked him a question. "I was attacked and I shadow-travelled to the safest place I thought of."

"Well, you either have strong feelings for this street or you shadow-travelled to me." The smile was harder to keep off his face now, especially as his words caused the colour of Nico's cheeks to deepen. Changing the subject to save him from further embarrassment, Percy added, "Are you strong enough to walk?"

Nico nodded, clambering to his feet. His face immediately paled as he stood straight, and he almost toppled backwards again, but Percy steadied him, making sure he could stand alone. 

"Come on, you may as well join me at McDonalds. It's just around the corner and I want to talk to you anyway." 

/

"So, how's your year been?" Percy asked, handing Nico a happy meal and diving into a chicken McNugget meal himself. Nico glanced at him gratefully, unfolding the box, taking out the toy and putting it to one side on their table. They were both sat in a booth besides the window in a deserted corner. 

"Mostly spent in the-" Nico winced slightly as he moved his arm, catching one of the cuts that had remained. "Underworld or with Hazel. Nothing out of the normal." 

"Does Hazel stay at Camp Jupiter all year round?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah, her and Frank are constantly training and occassionally going out on quests. It's nice to see her so happy and to-" He glanced down. "To have a sister again." 

Guilt panged in Percy's chest as he thought of Bianca di Angelo, Nico's proper sister, who was now dead. Whether it was actually his fault or not, Percy would always feel responsible for her death and for breaking his promise to Nico. 

"How's Hazel?" Percy asked, hoping to change the subject slightly and divert his mind away from the guilt. 

"She's alright. She's getting better at controlling and forming illusions and she's pretty much stopped popping jewels and riches up from the ground."

"That's good." Percy nodded.

"Percy, what did you want to talk to me about?" Nico asked carefully, placing his food down and rubbing his arms. Percy could tell he was trying to stop himself from showing signs of pain, but they must still have been hurting or irritating him. He wished he could do something else to help, but any more ambrosia or nectar could be too risky.

"Well..." Percy sighed, suddenly feeling nervous. "I've had somewhere between ten and eleven months to think about it."

Nico frowned. "Think about what Percy?"

"And I also believe that Hazel knew before I did, or before I was fully aware." Percy continued, rising to his feet and moving towards Nico's side of the booth. The younger demigod watched him carefully, his expression full of confusion. Percy's hands trembled slightly and he bit the edge of his lip, summoning his courage.

"Knew what? Percy, I have no idea what you're talking abo-" Before Nico could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Percy pressing his lips against his. Nico tensed, frozen and surprised by the sudden confrontation; he wasn't used to signs of affection, especially not from Percy.

Percy pulled away, his face flushed. 

"W-what w-was that f-for?" Nico stammered, his eyes still wide and his cheeks burning hotly. Percy couldn't help but laugh at his general awkwardness.

"I like you too, Ghost King. And, uh, I'd be pretty happy to date you, if you'd have me."

Nico scowled at that suggestion. Why, after all of his years crushing on Percy, would he turn him down when he finally liked him back? "Of course."

/

Smiling, Percy scraped some of his dinner into the fire as an offering to his father, before sitting down at his table. After talking to Chiron, he'd agreed to let Percy and his friends sit at the same table, just this once, if he returned the favour by helping him. Percy had agreed quickly, glad to be allowed the opportunity of eating his meal with all his friends at the same table.

Nico joined him, sitting by his side. He ate with one hand, which grasped his fork, the other hand placed on the bench beside him. Glancing at him with a grin, Percy took Nico's hand, making him jump - Nico still wasn't fond of people making physical contact with him, unless it was Hazel, or seemingly Percy - and laced their fingers together. The younger demigod's cheeks burned, a smile tugging at his lips. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by his half-sister and her boyfriend sitting down at the opposite side of them.

Hazel beamed at them, her smile spread across her face like the cheshire cat. "It's so obvious even Polyphemus could see it, which is saying something." She laughed, causing Frank to stare at her with confusion. He scanned the area around them, wondering what in Hades she was talking about, but he couldn't figure it out. Feeling dumbfounded, and apparently blinder than Polyphemus, he plonked himself down beside her.

"It'll come to you eventually." She reassured him, noticing his expression. When his frown didn't lessen, she leaned her head against his shoulder and squeezed his hand. This, however, removed the frown from his face and he simply smiled, figuring that it didn't matter how 'blind' he was, just as long as he had Hazel.

"Ugh, Yuck! It's the table of Love!" Leo called, pulling a face. He turned to his side, grinning at a girl beside him. She had cararmel hair, braided over one shoulder, and dark, almond shaped eyes. Her clothes were a simple pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, unlike the rest of the campers were wearing bright orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirts, but it seemed to suit her. "Let's go join them, Calypso." 

The two placed themselves down beside Hazel and Frank, and Leo placed his arm around Calypso, causing her to blush, whilst shooting a look at Frank as if to say 'you jealous?' Frank scowled at Leo's suggestion, though he was pleased for his friend. 

"Um, hi Percy." Calypso murmured, her face burning brighter. Leo glared at Percy, though only playfully as he knew both what happened when Percy visited Oygia and his current relationship status. 

"I'm happy for the both of you." Percy smiled, genuinely happy that Calypso had found someone who returned her feelings and not just another unrequited love. Her face turned a deeper red and Leo just laughed at her, mumbling something about how she looked like a tomato. She pushed him, her eyebrows furrowed into a scowl, but that only made him laugh harder.

"I told you so!" A new voice said loudly. Jason appeared behind Percy and Nico, beaming and glancing down at their entertwined hands. Nico hid his face with his other hand, feeling embarrassed whereas Percy just laughed. Reyna appeared beside Jason, a smile creeping across her own face.

"I believed you. I'm glad you found what you wished for, Nico." 

Percy chuckled as Nico's face turned bright red, his heart leaping at how adorable he looked. Jason beamed, happily throwing himself down beside Percy and dragging Reyna next to him by her hand. She frowned, but didn't resist. 

"And you found what you wished for." Percy said, glancing at Reyna and speaking for his hiding boyfriend. Reyna's cheeks coloured a little, but her expression didn't give her away... Much. She nodded, a smile playing on her lips. 

"I think anyone who believed Nico had a crush on me was pretty stupid." A female voice said simply. Frank became deeply confused again as Annabeth and Piper sat down beside Leo and Calypso, unsure what she was talking about. He felt almost as though he was left out of a joke as everyone was nodding, but he still didn't understand. 

Noticing Frank's confused expression, Percy simply said, "Frank, does this explain it?"And with that, he planted a kiss on Nico's cheek. Realisation washed over Frank and he mentally slapped himself, wondering how he could be so blind. In reply to Percy's question, he nodded, causing Hazel to giggle. 

"I must admit-" Annabeth began, directing her attention to the son of Hades who had finally taken to showing his face again. "I'm proud of you Nico and-" She paused- "I'm happy for the both of you." 

"And what about you?" Percy asked, smiling at his friend. The corners of Annabeth's lips curled upwards and her grey eyes lit up. She glanced in Piper's direction, causing the daughter of Aphrodite's cheeks to heat a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's about it. The End.
> 
> (Woo, I actually finished something with multiple chapters for once!)


End file.
